Radiant Dawn High School REVISED
by nomey1
Summary: As the title suggests, this is the revised version of an original work of mine. Well, okay, TECHNICALLY not original since it IS a fanfic based off of a video game. But you get what I mean. So read and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone. It has been a very long time since I have last written. My writer's blocks seem to be getting worse and worse. However, playing Fire Emblem Awakening obsessively made me think back to this story and decide to work on it. I figured that the best way I would get inspiration back for this story is if I re-write all of the old chapters and fix all the errors I made up to it's most current chapter. My writing has changed since I first started this (which was back when I was in seventh grade). Thanks to the Awakening game, maybe there will eventually be a cross-over of some kind. ;) For now, though, we are sticking to this. Anyway, please read and enjoy. ^^**

**_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of the characters. The only thing I own is the OCs._**

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**~Radiant Dawn High School~**

Chapter 1:

I woke up on the morning of my first day of school freaking out. My clock says it is seven-twenty in the morning and that is when school is supposed to start. I just woke up which means I am nowhere near ready. This isn't good. Rushing to the bathroom, I quickly brush my sky blue, wavy hair and teeth before rushing to my wooden trunk and change into clothes; a simple green t-shirt with a matching light scarf and black jeans. I grab my school bag and red journal (which is very important to me) before slipping on a pair of shoes. Then I was out of my room, down the stairs, and out of the bed-and-breakfast place that I have been staying at for several days now. I ran as fast as I could while also trying to maneuver past the people that were walking about. I noticed the funny stares that were being sent my way but ignored them. All that I could think about was getting to my new school, even though I was already late.

I see Radiant Dawn High School ahead of me and smile in relief. The school is made of two main buildings; one side for the Beorcs and the other side for the Laguz. The school is also made up of a main office and other small buildings for the library, music room, the cafeteria, and others across the school grounds. In the middle of the main buildings is an open area with plants, benches, and a water fountain with a statue of a goddess in the middle. It reminds me of what you would find in a beautiful garden.

There is a main walkway which heads towards the center where the garden-like area is and spreads out towards the other buildings. I am looking at the ones which lead to the two main buildings and am trying to remember which way to turn. Which one is the Beorc side again? I lightly hit my head trying to remember but I still couldn't figure it out. I decide to pick left. I don't know why, but I knew I couldn't just stand there staring all day. I just hope that I am right.

I walk for a little bit till I hear what sounds like wings flapping and look up. Above me is a raven laguz. That's my cue that I picked the wrong direction. Before I can turn around and go to the other building, the Laguz lands in front of me.

He has shiny, black hair that is held back in a ponytail, his hair almost reaching his shoulders. His clothing isn't much, a simple black t-shirt and dark blue jeans with holes in them. The wings on his back are large and pure black, as expected from someone who can turn into a raven. However, what really catches my attention is the purple eyes that are burning with hatred.

"Hey, human!" I jump at the volume of his deep voice. "You're on the wrong side!"

"U-um," I stutter nervously. "I'm s-sorry." I gulp in order to keep my voice calm. "I'm new here and-."

The Laguz laughs cutting me off. "How many times have I heard _that_ lie?"

"I-It's not a lie!"

"Of course it is!"

How do you defend yourself against someone who is convinced that they are right and you are wrong? I've never had such an encounter with anyone before. I find myself taking a step back. He notices this and smirks darkly.

"Playtime, little girl? You run, I'll chase."

I immediately spun around and started sprinting as fast as I could towards the Beorc building. I don't think I have much of a chance of getting away; I'm not very fast to begin with. I have to try, though. I looked behind me, expecting to see him, but he isn't there. I continue to run but I keep looking around. Where did he go?! Because I was distracted, I ended up running straight into somebody which causes me to gasp and fall to the ground.

"I-I'm sorry!" I exclaim quickly while shutting my eyes tight. "I didn't mean to!" How many people am I going to get in trouble with today?!

"Hey, it's okay." The person says reassuringly. "Are you alright?"

I look up and see it is a male student who has squatted down in front of me. He has aqua colored hair with beautifully different-colored eyes, one of them being purple and the other a really light green. He is wearing baggy, dark blue pants with a tight, sleeveless, dark brown shirt which highlighted his muscles. He also has cat ears and a tail making him a cat Laguz. I want to speak, but it appears I am tongue-tied.

"Ranulf!" I whip my head around to see the raven Laguz land not too far from us. So that's why I couldn't see him earlier; he was in the air. "Stay out of this! The human is _mine _to deal with!"

"Derek, you know you will get in trouble if you get caught." Ranulf said. "Don't call her 'human', either; it's Beorc."

"You think I care? The _human_ came to the wrong side and should be punished!" Derek yelled.

"This is ridiculous. Just leave her alone."

I look back at him to see that he is now standing up straight and holding his hand out to me. I take it and he pulls me up. This is when I realize he is at least a head taller than me. Am I really that short or is he just tall? Whatever the case may be, I hide behind him in order to find some kind of safety in all of this craziness.

He looks over his shoulder to look at me and smiles. "You'll be ok, don't you worry. He's just a big, fat, hot head sometimes." His grin was so big and bright that, for a moment, I forgot I was in danger and felt that I could trust him.

"I heard that!" Derek says in annoyance. "Anyway, I'm not leaving until I hear a 'good' apology."

I look at him with wide blue eyes. "B-But I already apologized!"

He crosses his arms. "I didn't like it the first time. Try again."

I gulp. "I-I'm really sorry. I didn't m-mean to make you angry."

Ranulf tilts his head slightly. "There. She apologized. Better?"

"No, not even close." My eyes widen in shock. He smirks. "I'll just knock her around a little so she learns her lesson."

A loud bell tone rings across the school grounds and the sounds of several pairs of feet walking down the halls reaches my ears making my eyes grow wide. Did I miss my first class already? I look around as students start appearing outside and spot us. They seem to get the sense of what is going on and start to form a large circle around us. This is not good at all. It's my first day here and already I am causing a big scene. Why me?

"Sorry. Can't let you do that." Ranulf says while glaring at Derek.

"Want to fight then, cat boy?" Derek challenged.

He crouched down like a cat, poised to strike. "Sure, canary!" He then looks back with a smirk on his face. "Girlie, you might want to take a few steps back."

"U-um, okay."

I did as told, making sure I wouldn't get in his way. I don't like fighting, but I don't like being a bother to people either. More and more students were surrounding us and started whispering to each other. Some were even making bets on who would win.

"Ten bucks on the raven." I hear one student say.

"Nah, look at the cat guy. You know what happens when a cat gets protective. It's to the death." another one says.

The next thing I saw made me gasp. Ranulf roared, shifting into a giant blue cat. Derek jumped back and shifted into a giant black raven. They are such massive creatures that it is intimidating. However, I look at them more in awe then that of fear. I've always thought that the Laguz were amazing because of their ability to shift into their animal forms.

Voicing this opinion would not be the best idea, though. Even though Beorcs and the Laguz are supposed to get along with each other peacefully, some still don't like the idea of being put together and thus don't like each other very well. It would take a while before people could be completely comfortable with each other. I don't think everyone is completely closed to the idea, but there are those few who will always want things to remain the same old. People could have more friends if they simply put down their walls. I know I need friends. Even though I am used to being alone, having someone to talk to would be nice.

A male's voice boomed over the crowd, "STOP!"

Everyone immediately becomes quiet, including the two Laguz that looked just about ready to attack each other. A handsome, dark blue-haired student wearing a red headband makes his way through the crowd to where we are. Who is he?

As if on cue, my question gets answered. "Shit! It's the prez!" one guy whispers harshly to another.

Okay, so that didn't completely answer my question. Close enough, though.

"Ike." Someone calls.

A shorter male student with dark green hair makes his way through the crowd until he is by the one supposedly named Ike. He is skinny and not as built as the other one. Also, his expression seems to show as if he doesn't care about anything. From what I can tell, he seems to be treating this as if it were nothing but a nuisance.

"What do you want me to do about this?" the green-haired male asks.

"Nothing, Soren." The other replies. "I can take care of this. Just go back to the office to finish up those papers. I will be there soon."

"Okay. Let me know if there is trouble." As quickly as he arrived, he walks away to a building in the back between the other two buildings that I didn't notice till now. Does he also hold some kind of position within the school? I'm going to guess yes for now.

"Now, will someone like to explain what the hell is going on?" Ike says while peering at us. His tone of voice scares me a little.

Ranulf shifts back to human form and spoke up, "Derek attacked this girl and I was trying to defend her."

"Is this true?" Ike questioned as he looks straight at Derek.

Now Derek shifts back and answers, "She went over to the wrong side of the school."

Ike now looks at me, "Is this correct, miss?"

My eyes widen. "Y-Yes." I bow quickly, guilt and embarrassment overtaking me. "I-I'm really sorry!" I stand up straight and continue to look at him nervously. "I'm n-new to this town and I forgot which way t-to turn so I guessed a side. I didn't know th-that I had made a mistake until it was too late." I have noticed that, when I panic, I tend to talk fast and quite a bit. "I'm truly sorry! I promise I won't make the same mistake again! I-I don't want them to f-fight!" Brilliant… I wish I wasn't so terribly shy.

"It's alright. I see no need to apologize. Obviously there was a misunderstanding. I don't want fighting on school property, either." He replies sympathetically. He has gentle eyes for someone who looks really strong. Ike turns to the crowd with a serious expression. "Everyone, leave immediately. There is nothing to see here. Go to your classes." Then he looks directly back at us. "Come to the office. I think Principal Titania would like to have a good talk with you three."

The students slowly left, murmuring to each other while some of them look disappointed, as we walk to the main building. I heard a lot of 'Man, I wanted to see what would've happened!' and 'What's with that girl?' kind of comments. I look down at the ground and bite my lower lip. Great, I sure made a good first impression. I want to go to my next class and have things be normal, but now students are going to be talking about me and the fight. I just want to be left alone.

"Hey. We're leaving."

I blink before looking up to see the three guys staring at me expectantly. I blink a few more times before blushing a light shade of pink.

"R-Right. Sorry."

I walk up to them. Ike takes the lead, Ranulf walks a little bit ahead of me, and Derek hangs in the back. Being able to feel the intense stare trying to make a big hole in the back of my skull, I feel uneasy and a bit shaky. Because of this I didn't notice that the cat laguz had slowed his pace so that he was walking next to me.

"Are you okay?" he whispers.

I snap out of my daze and look up at him. He seems to be genuinely concerned which warms my heart a little. I smile in reassurance. "Y-Yeah. Thank you." The smile drops. "But I'm sorry I got you dragged into this."

He smiles warmly. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I love school or anything."

Despite myself, I giggle. He looks back ahead. I take this time to bravely look behind me. Derek, with his hands in his pocket, is indeed staring at me. As soon as we made eye contact I turned my head back to the front so fast I'm surprised I didn't get whiplash from that. Great. I made a good first impression AND someone hates me. I moved here because I wanted to have as normal of a school life as possible. However, it doesn't seem to be working out for me all that well.

We made it to the building and boy is it large. If I remember correctly, this is supposed to be the main building. Seems like a very nice one. Fanciest one I have ever seen. Bright lights are hanging everywhere off of the ceiling with a beautiful glow that bathed the halls and rooms with a nice homey feeling. Beautiful pictures hung around the building and desks were seen here and there with secretaries and other school administrators. This place makes me want to relax.

"Let's hope Mrs. Titania is in a good mood today." Ranulf says. "If not, we're dead."

I look up at him in shock. "Is it that bad?"

He smirks while glancing down at me. "Very bad."

Ike stopped in front of a door and turned to us. "Head on in. Mrs. Titania is waiting for you."

I will admit that I am scared. Thanks to Ranulf, I'm not sure if things will be okay. There is no way I can simply turn around and head back home. So, together, we walk into the neat and organized office. Soren is standing in a corner silently watching us. Ike spots him and goes to stand next to him.

Mrs. Titania is sitting at her desk and looks very pretty. She has long, beautiful red hair tied in a neat braid and is wearing a black suite which makes her look very professional. I think, after one glance, no one would ever want to mess with her.

"Have a seat." The principal ordered us.

There are three seats in front of the desk. I sit in the seat that is to the right of the desk, Ranulf sits in the middle, and Derek sits on the other side of him.

"So." Mrs. Titania says, breaking the silence. "What I have been told, Derek attacked Mina, who so happens to be starting today for the first time, and Ranulf happened to be at the scene and tried to defend her. Then the two transformed almost making it an all-out fight when Ike saw what was happening and intervened. Is any of this info incorrect or did I address everything?"

I gathered my courage to speak, "Th-That's right."

She glances at me which unnerves me. She then looks at the other two. Ranulf nods his head but doesn't speak. Derek has is arms crossed. I'm surprised he isn't saying anything about how it's-

"You forget that it is her fault for crossing onto the wrong side."

Never mind. There it is.

Mrs. Titania glares at him. "How old are you, five?" The raven Laguz visibly tenses. "To get aggressive over sides of the school is childish and immature. This isn't West Side Story."

I was so surprised by the comparison that I narrowly covered my mouth in time to stop the burst of giggles that would have escaped if I was too slow. Ranulf nudges me with his elbow causing me to look up at him. He is smiling as he winks at me. Does that mean he thought it was funny, too?

"Now…" I look back at the principal. "How shall this situation be handled?" That's when the phone rings. She answers it and starts speaking with someone but I can't even hear if it's a male or female. Her eyebrows narrow during the conversation. She must have gotten unpleasant news of some kind. Soon, she was done and the phone was back in its place. She looks at the three of us once more.

"Lucky for you, I don't have time to deal with this. There has been a last minute emergency call." She stands up and shuffles through the papers on her desk. "All three are free to go."

My eyes widen. I can't believe it. By some luck, we just get to leave. I hope everything with her is okay, but I am so happy to be free. This means I can leave, hope that the rest of the day goes uneventful, and return to the inn as soon as possible. Derek is the first to stand up and leave. I could tell that he couldn't get out of here any faster. I don't blame him. Next is Ranulf so I get up and follow behind. Soon after Ike and Soren joins us. That's when I remember something and turn to face them.

"Y-You both are Student Council members, right?" I ask.

"That's right." Ike replies.

"By any chance, would you happen to have access to my schedule? I never got it."

"I can print it off for you." Soren says.

I look at him and smile widely. "Thank you!"

He nods. "Wait outside."

"Okay."

Soren disappears further down the hall. I look up at Ike. "I-I'm really sorry about today."

He looks down at me and smiles. "Don't trouble yourself over it. It really wasn't a big deal."

I hesitantly nod before we part ways and I step outside the building. That is when I see Ranulf, standing there, as if waiting for me. It surprises me yet makes me curious.

_**#~~#**_

As I was looking for the file that has Mina's schedule, I happened to notice the fact that she did not have a permanent home. It isn't any of my business as to why this is. Or why there aren't as many parental/guardian forms as there normally should be. I don't get involved in other people's issues, whether they be home related or whatever else there may be. I don't expect people to dig into my life, asking about how I "feel" about the fact that my parents abandoned me as a young child or what "home life" is like with Ike, Mist, and their father.

It isn't any of my business… Yet the file is already opened on the screen.

The damage is done. What I have seen cannot be unseen and the info that has been absorbed cannot be unlearned. I just didn't expect to be as surprised as how I feel right now. Could it really be possible? It's a bit difficult to take in. I shake my head and quickly open the document that has the new student's schedule. I print it off and pick up the warm sheet of paper.

I step out of the main building and look around. It doesn't take me long to spot the long blue hair that belongs to Mina Seno. There is another set of blue hair which I am not pleased with seeing. The two seem to be talking about something casually. Well, the sub-human is talking casually. The new girl is undoubtedly shy and is stuttering here and there through the conversation. An unfamiliar feeling of agitation builds up giving me a migraine. I approach the two and clear my throat loud enough for them to hear. They both turn but the girl is the only one to smile.

"Th-Thank you very much!" She says happily as I hand the paper to her. "I wouldn't have known what to do without it!"

I nod. From the corner of my eye, Ranulf is looking down at me so I glance at him. That's right, cat. I'm watching you.

"Soren!"

I turn around to see that it is Ike jogging towards me.

"Yes?"

He smiles. "Let's go to our next class."

"Alright."

"B-Bye." Mina stutters. I turn to look at her. "And thanks again."

I nod. I then walk beside him towards our next class. I look back at the two a few times as we walk away to make sure that the sub-human wouldn't do anything bad or stupid.

**_#~~#_  
**

"Now that you know what your schedule is, you don't want to be late."

I look at him. "O-Oh, yeah. Right."

I try to find out what my next class is, but the task isn't that easy. First thing, I don't know how this schedule works. Second thing, Ranulf's face is close to mine as he also looks at my schedule. The close contact causes me to blush a bright pink.

"Do you know how the schedule works?" he asks.

"N-No…" I admit.

"Okay." He looks at me. "The school has two days; green and orange. The classes you have depend on what day it is." He looks down at my schedule and points at some of the classes. "Periods one, two, four, and five are on green days while two, six, eight, and nine are on orange days."

"Period two is every day?"

"Yeah."

I look over my schedule.

Period 1 - Math - Mr. Smith - A104

Period 2 - Archery - Mr. Shinon - Outside gym building

Period 3 - Lunch - (blank) - Cafeteria

Period 4 – English – Mr. Holland – A106

Period 5 – Free Period – Ms. Arbercrumb – C301

Period 6 – History – Ms. Sylvester – A115

Period 7 - Lunch - (blank) – Cafeteria

Period 8 - Battle Tactics - Mr. Nolan - B210

Period 9 - Science - Mrs. Lium – B208

"What class is it now?" I ask.

"Second period."

"Okay." I look over at him and smile. "Th-Thank you very much."

He smiles back. "Anytime." We stay there, just looking at each other, for a few moments before he coughs awkwardly and stands up straight. "I… better get going."

"R-Right."

"Will I see you later?" he asks with a smirk.

I smile warmly. "Uh huh."

He starts walking backwards. "Bye."

"Bye." I say while waving.

He turns around so that he is facing forward as he heads to his next class. I watch him for a couple of seconds before heading down in my direction to class. He seems like a really nice guy. Maybe today isn't going to be as terrible as I thought.

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**So... Has this story improved at all? I really tried to make it better than the original. However, I am not deleting the original story. It is just being made "complete" and staying where it is. I wrote that thing all the way back in sixth grade! I don't want to just delete all of that hard work! lol**

**Quick Note: #~~# will pop up every time there is a POV switch. ## will pop up every time there is a time skip of some sorts.**

**Well anyway, that's all. Review and all that good stuff, please. ^_^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! Sorry for how long this took! The re-writting of the old content is a little more tricky than I thought it would be. The hardest part, though, was all the new content I added. Towards the end this chapter is going to look a lot different than the original one. I hope you guys don't mind that.^^' Oh, and if there are spelling/grammer mistakes of any kind, that is because it is currently 1:28 in the morning and I am too tired/lazy to read it over. I promise once I get some sleep I will look back at this and fix whatever stupid mistakes I make (there always seems to be at least one really stupid one). Anyway, thanks for all of your patience and support for this! Go ahead and enjoy this installment of RDHS Revised!**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem in any way, shape, or form. The only thing I own are the OCs._**

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Chapter 2:

I look down at my schedule for what feels like the hundredth time before looking back up. It took me some time but I have finally found the gym. It was hidden behind the Beorc building. According to the schedule, archery is to be held outside. I guess I should be looking around for targets and flying arrows. I go along one side of the building, keeping my eyes open. I arrive at the back when, viola, I see targets and students. However, no flying arrows. The students are sitting on the grass talking with each other and prepping their bows.

From the corner of my eye I spot an adult walking towards my direction. He has long red hair tied back in a neat ponytail and dark green eyes. His attire consists of a dark green shirt, a beige sweater with the sleeves wrapped around his neck, tan pants, and dark green, tall boots. He sure likes his green.

"You must be the new student, Mina Seno, right?" he asks dully.

"Y-Yes, I am." I stutter in response.

"Welcome to archery class. I am Mr. Shinon, your teacher for the year. This week we have been using the school's set of bows and arrows so you're lucky. However, starting Monday, you will need your own set."

"O-Ok."

Mr. Shinon points to a pile of supplies which sat next to the back door entrance of the gym. "Grab what you need and sit down."

I nod in response before walking to the stuff and picking up a bow and quiver filled with arrows.

Just as I sit down, Mr. Shinon stands in front of the entire class. "Everyone shut up and look up here!" he calls out sternly. Everyone immediately stops talking and looks at him. "Good. Now, we are going to start practice. Stand up and pick a target to practice on."

I stand up and walk over to a target at the end of the row. Next to me is a guy with straight blond hair that reaches his shoulders and dark grey eyes. They remind me of storm clouds for some reason.

I grab an arrow from my quiver and aim at the target. I feel a pair of eyes on me but I ignore it for the moment. I had my target and was ready to fire the arrow. I watch as it flies through the air before hitting the second white ring away from the bull's-eye. It has been a while since I last shot an arrow so the result was no surprise. I then look to my side to see it is the guy that is staring at me. He sees me looking and quickly grabs an arrow. He takes a moment to aim before shooting it. It lands on the bull's-eye; a very nice shot.

He looks at me and introduces himself. "The name is Leonardo. What's yours?"

My eyes widen for a split second. I quickly compose myself. "M-My name is Mina." I then smile sweetly. "Nice to meet you."

He nods curtly before returning his attention to his target. I decide to do the same. I was slowly getting better with each shot but Leonardo did great the entire time. Some students were beginning to slack off or watch us (mostly Leonardo). Mr. Shinon is quick to catch on and snaps at them to return to practice. I hope I never get on his bad side.

Finally, class wraps up to a close and I return the bow and quiver I used. I take out my schedule and sigh. Next is lunch which I am grateful for. I was starting to get hungry. There is only one problem; I don't know where the cafeteria is.

"What do you have next?" Leonardo, who seems to have popped out of nowhere, asks.

I snap my head up in surprise. "Lunch." At least I didn't stutter.

"I do, too. Do you have anyone to sit with?" I shake my head. "I figured as much. Well, if you would like, you could join me and meet my friends."

I lightly blush. "S-Sure. If you don't mind, th-that is!" Well, that didn't last for long.

He smiles a little making me blush some more. For someone with dark eyes, he sure does have a nice smile. "Follow me, I'll show you where the cafeteria is."

"Thank you!" I say excitedly.

I watch as he glances away for a moment. I tilt my head in confusion. Is he okay? Did I say something weird? Just like that, he is back to normal and is walking in the direction I assume to be towards the cafeteria. I started to fall behind so I hurriedly catch up to him. In order to get there we have to walk past the gym and through the Beorc building all the way to the front. When we get there I hear someone yell the blond-student's name.

"Leonardo!"

He freezes in place so I stop walking. His body has gone tense and he looks as if in pain. I follow his gaze to see a boy with messy brown hair running in our direction. The student stopped running as soon as he was in front of Leonardo and began taking deep breathes. Finally, he catches his breath and stands up straight. He then exclaims, "Hey, Leo!" He smiles widely, reminding me of a little boy.

Leonardo sighs. "Hi, Edward."

"Heading for lunch?" Edward asks.

"I was just on my way. What about-?"

Edward suddenly gasps and points at me which causes me to freeze up and my eyes to grow wide.

"Hey! You're that new girl!" Edward exclaims.

"Did your mother never teach you manners?" Leonardo asks. "Her name is Mina."

"Awe, I wanted to meet her first!" he whines, completely ignoring the insult. He really does act like a little kid. I muffle a giggle but Leonardo hears it and looks at me with an eyebrow raised. Edward didn't notice, but he does do something unexpected; he hugs me tightly.

"You are so cute!" he exclaims. My entire face grows bright red from the sudden contact. He lets go of me but places his hands on my shoulders. "Hey, you know what?! You could totally be my little sister! You look like you need an older brother to protect you!" I'm too stunned to even think of a way to respond to all that. He has so much energy that it is overwhelming. It looks like I don't have to think, though, for he was already ready to move. "Come on, let's go to lunch!" he excitedly says. He grabs my hand and starts running. I almost trip while trying to keep up with him. A steady blush remains on my cheeks because of my hand being held by someone I literally just met.

"Oi, baka!" I hear Leonardo yell as he tries to catch up with us.

We ran behind the main building where another building stands; the cafeteria. Edward's pace slows down to a walk but doesn't let go of my hand. I struggle a bit to catch my breath as he walks us into the building. There are lots of tables filled with students, Laguz and Beorc alike, eating their meal. We are not separated when it comes to eating. This makes me smile. He continues pulling me along till we reach a round table where two people are already sitting.

Edward finally frees my hand so he can wave at them. "Hey, guys! What's up?"

No sooner had the words left his lips, Leonardo had finally caught up to us and was giving the brunette a death glare. "Edward, you moron!" he yells. "You didn't have to run off like that!"

The other male looks at him innocently. "But I really wanted Micaiah and Sothe to see the new girl."

As Leonardo argues with him I look nervously at the two people at the table. The one closest to me is a female who I am assuming is Micaiah. She has long silver hair with a blue ribbon tied on the back of her head princess-style. Her golden eyes are big and bright, looking very gentle. She's wearing a dark maroon shirt and dark brown leggings. Covering her feet are light brown boots that stop at the knees, covering her leggings.

The guy next to her is probably Sothe. He has green messy hair, lighter than Soren's, along with golden eyes. He is wearing a sleeveless green shirt and tan, baggy pants. He has dark brown boots that almost reach his knees and the bottoms of his pants were tucked in them.

Micaiah smiles at me. "What's your name?"

"M-Mina." I reply.

She reaches her hand out towards me. "Well, Mina, it's very nice to meet you."

I blush. "I-It's nice to meet you, too."

As soon as our hands made contact I froze, feeling strong waves of energy from her. What is this? What am I feeling and why? I look at her face and, sure enough, she has also noticed that something here is strange. Quickly, I pull my hand back and laugh nervously.

"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to shock you."

It takes her a second but she soon gets it and smiles. "That's ok. Happens all the time, right?"

Sothe glares at me, suspicion clearly in his eyes. He must know something's up, too. Micaiah pats the seat next her so I sit down. Leonardo and Edward seem done with whatever discussion they were having and sit down as well, Edward next to me and Leonardo next to him.

Edward leans in and whispers in my ear, "Don't be intimidated by him. He likes to glare at people."

Either Sothe didn't hear or didn't care because he returned to eating his lunch.

"Do you have anything to eat?" Micaiah asks me.

I look at her then glance at the table. "Um…." No, I don't have my lunch. I was in such a rush this morning that I completely forgot about packing food. It never even crossed my mind till just now. I laugh a little nervously as I look back at her.

"Here." I turn towards Leonardo who is handing me a Clementine. "You can have it."

I smile. "Th-Thank you."

I take the fruit from him and peal it open. I eat a piece and smile brightly to myself. Delicious. That's when my shoulder is tapped. I turn around to come face to face with a water bottle. …Huh? I hesitantly take it before looking up and meeting mismatched colored eyes. My face immediately gets hot.

"R-Ranulf?!"

He smirks. "Hey. Since you don't have your lunch, you can have this."

I smile gratefully. "Thanks!" He laughs causing me to blush a deeper red. Did I say something funny?

He waves his hand dismissively. "Sorry, it's nothing. See you later."

"Bye." I say while waving.

He returns the wave before walking back to whatever part of the cafeteria he was originally at.

_#~~#_

I return to the table I was sitting at previously only to get good stares from Lethe and Lyre, cat Laguz sisters, and a questioning look from Mordecai, my tiger Laguz friend.

"What?" I ask.

"Who is that girl?" Lethe carefully asks.

"Who?"

Lyre is quick to get annoyed. "The one you were just talking to, who else?"

"Oh, a girl that I saved this morning from the i_nfamous_ Derek." The last part I say with some exaggeration and a smirk.

"Why did you go talk to her if she's just 'a girl you saved this morning'?" Lyre asks dramatically.

I laugh. "What? I'm not allowed to talk to a girl? You know you can do that, too."

She fumes like a little kid but Lethe puts a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"Is she a nice Beorc?" It was Mordecai's turn to ask me a question.

I smile. "Yeah. Very cute, too…"

This is where I get a little distracted and the three look at each other worriedly. Then Lethe gets my attention.

"You know what will happen if you hang out with her a lot, right?"

"Yes, I know."

"Then, for her sake, don't get too close." Lyre says seriously; a rare thing from her.

There is an uncomfortable silence. Lyre is the one to break it but I don't hear a word she says. I become lost within my thoughts as I silently finish the rest of my lunch. I hate this. Because of one mistake, I now have to be careful who I talk to and how much. It's absolutely ridiculous. I like Mina. She seems like an interesting girl to get to know. I don't care what anyone says, I will talk to her if I want to.

_#~~#_

I turn my head to see everyone staring at me. I look at them with wide, confused eyes.

"W-What?"

"How do you and Ranulf know each other?" Edward asks. He sounds so serious that it throws me off. It's kind of scary.

"H-He saved me this morning." I reply.

His eyes suddenly grow wide. "Wait, _you're_ the girl that got in trouble with Derek this morning?!"

I nervously nod. Both him and Micaiah gasp. Leonardo is silently eating but I can tell he is listening. Sothe is watching me very carefully.

"That's a lot to go through for your first day." Micaiah says with concern tinting her voice.

"Yeah!" Edward agrees. "Did he hurt you? Did he scare you?" He begins looking over me, searching for any wounds he might think I have. I blush and scoot away from him.

I wave my hands in front of my face while saying, "I-I'm fine! You don't need to w-worry about me!"

He stops his search and looks at me sternly. "If I am going to be a good brother, I need to worry about you! It's my job!"

My body freezes.

_"It's okay if I don't have lunch tomorrow!" I exclaimed frantically. "I know you guys were too busy to go shopping today!"_

_My parents would have none of it, though, for they were still putting on their coats._

_"No, sweetie, you need something to eat." My mom said while smiling at me. "The shopping needs to get done, anyway."_

_"But-!"_

_My dad cuts me off. "Kiddo, it's our job to take care of you. What kind of parents would we be if we didn't take care of you?"_

_I wanted to protest some more because I had a really bad feeling about the whole thing. Tell them that it was too late and they could just do the shopping tomorrow. However, I knew how stubborn they could be. I ignored the sick feeling in my stomach._

_"Alright… Just hurry back, ok?"_

_My mom smiled and hugged me. "Ok, sweetie."_

_She lets go of me and walks out the door. My dad was next to hug me._

_"Don't worry, we'll be back in two seconds. I promise." _

_I looked up at his smiling face and nodded, smiling lightly in return. I was still very nervous; something I couldn't explain. He walked out the front door and shut it behind him. Out of habit, I locked the door. _

_I listened as their footsteps became more and more distant until there was nothing left to hear…_

I'm brought back into reality by Edward repeatedly saying my name while frantically waving his hands in front of my face. I blink several times before looking at everyone. Did I really space out just now?

"Are you ok?" Micaiah asks.

I smile at her as reassuringly as possible. "Y-Yeah. Sorry about that." I look at the nearest clock to see that lunch is almost over. I stand up in my seat. "I-I better go find my next class. B-Bye!"

I am quick to toss out my trash and exit the cafeteria, my trembling hands tightly holding the unopened water bottle.

_#~~#_

I watch with much concern as Mina walks away. What did she see when she was in her daze? A memory of some kind? A hand rests on top of mine and I look at Sothe. His facial expression looks the same as always, but I am able to read his eyes.

"Sorry," I say with a light smile, "I'm just a bit worried about Mina." I said.

Sothe nods understandingly. He knows how I always worry about everybody. That's what I like about him; he is always able to understand me. He squeezes my hand before returning to his food. I hear Edward sigh and look over. He is looking down at his food sadly.

"What's wrong with Mina? She was fine one second and the next… not." He looks over at Leonardo. "Was it something I said?"

"Probably." Leonardo half jokes.

He becomes angry at this. "Hey!"

"You asked and I gave you my answer. If you don't like it, you shouldn't have asked in the first place." Edward fumes as Leonardo looks at the clock. "Oh, look at the time. I better get going, too." He stands up, tosses out his trash, and walks away.

"Hey! You can't get away that easily!" Edward yells angrily before running after Leonardo.

I laugh and Sothe takes both of our trash. "Thanks." I say.

When he is done with getting rid of it he returns to the table and looks down at me. "You going to be ok, Micaiah?"

I smile and stand up. "I will. For now, let's go to class."

"Ok."

Sothe smiles his rare smile that only I get to see. I take his hand and we walk out of the cafeteria. We leave just before the other students start doing the same. From the corner of my eye I can see Ranulf looking out the window. I follow his direction of sight in time to see Mina walk around the main building toward the Beorc side. I desperately hope that there will be no repeat of history. His reputation and record is well known among the school community.

_#~~#_

I went to English and met Mr. Holland, who has short brown hair and a pair of glasses that rest snugly on his nose. He is a very quiet teacher and students were falling asleep as he taught. The funny things is, whenever someone did fall asleep, the teacher would simply grab a squirt bottle and spray water in their face. It happened to three different students before people finally caught on and decided falling asleep was not a good idea while he was around.

Now there is only one more class and the day will be over. However, before trying to figure out where it is, I decide to sit at one of the benches outside near the water fountain. It has been a long day and I am still a little shaken about the flashback I had during lunch. I was okay during English because I focused on the teacher but, now that I have free time, it is free to take over my mind and make it all I can think about. I bow my head and close my eyes. It's been two years since that day. I thought I would have been over it by now. I guess not. Maybe moving was a bad idea after all.

"Mina." Snapping my eyes open, I look up to see Ike waving at me. Standing next to him is Soren. I silently return the wave as they approach me. Ike sits next to me but Soren remains standing in front of the both of us. "How has your first day been?"

I smile. "Good. I've been meeting some nice people here and there."

He seems relieved by my answer. "I'm glad to hear it."

"How has your day been?"

He sighs. "Exhausting. I've been running around for Mrs. Titania and helping those that have been wanting to change classes."

"I'm assuming that it is not fun?" I ask lightly.

Ike smiles. "I don't mind it exactly. It's all the papers after school that I am dreading."

Soren comments, "It's what you signed up for."

"I know." Ike says while looking at him. "I wasn't quite expecting all of this work." He smiles genuinly. "You've been quite helpful, though. Without you I would be in huge trouble."

Soren looks away. "I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do."

Ike grins. "And you are doing a hell of a job."

I look at the both of them and smile. They seem to get along really well which is a nice thing to see. I feel a bit better after having briefly talked with them. That's when I remember about class. I might as well ask them since they are here. I pull out my schedule and show it to Ike.

"Do you know where this class is?" I ask.

He takes the schedule and begins studying it.

"I thought you would have already found it before spending time out here." Soren says a little coldly.

I nervously stutter out a response, "I-I needed some time to c-calm down before going."

He simply looks at me, as if contemplating something, but nothing is voiced.

"Soren?" Ike asks suddenly. "Isn't this your class?"

Soren takes my schedule and looks at it. His eyes grow wide for a split second before returning to normal. "Yes it is."

"You should walk Mina to class, then." Ike suggests. Soren opens his mouth to say something as he hands me back the piece of paper when Ike, who is now looking at the clock, cuts him off with, "I need to go to class." He stands up straight and smiles at us. "Bye!"

Just like that, Ike is gone leaving me and Soren alone. Soren stares at me which unnerves me a great deal. I hesitantly stand up and glance at the clock before glancing back at him.

"L-Look," I say nervously, "you don't have to walk w-with me if you don't want t-to." I take a deep breath in hopes to calm the stuttering. "I can figure it out on my own."

Soren sighs. "That would be stupid. We are heading to the same destination so it would make more sense to go together."

My eyes grow wide for a moment as I let his words sink in. He's right about that. So, I smile gratefully. "O-Okay. Thank you."

Soren walks ahead and I follow close behind. I don't want to fall behind and cause him to slow down for my sake. The walk is silent which makes it feel a little bit awkward. Soren isn't really much of a talker and I didn't have the guts to initiate conversation. Even if I did, I don't think he would like that. What would I even say? 'Hey, what do you think of the weather'? Luckily, I don't have to worry about that for too long because we make it to the right room relatively quickly.

A woman, who I assume to be Ms. Arbercrumb, is sitting at the lone desk, typing away at the computer resting on top of its surface. She has the appearance of an elderly woman accompanied by short, thin, white hair.

Soren is quick to sit at a round table where he is it's only resident. I look around the classroom to see where I should sit. There are no familiar faces (not surprising since it is only my first day). It would make sense to sit with the only person I know. Is it okay, though? Maybe he sits by himself for a reason. I don't want to be any more trouble than I have already been. Maybe I'll just-

"Are you going to just stand there?" Soren asks from his seat.

I turn towards him and stare for a few seconds. He only stares back though he has a book in his hand. I finally shake my head before nervously taking a seat next to him.

I play with my fingers and stare at the table top. "I-I'm sorry."

He looks down at his book. "Why are you apologizing for such a minor thing as sitting down?"

"N-No, it's not that." I look over at him. "It's because I am bothering you so much."

"I have said no such thing." He says as he looks up from his book at me. I was expecting a glare, but instead got a look that is, to my amazement, gentle. "Unless I tell you myself, don't go assuming something you don't know."

My cheeks become warm as the words sink in. He doesn't think I am a burden. He really means it. His reassurance brings me relief so I nod my head in response and he returns to reading his book. I don't have any homework today so in order to pass the time I pull out my red journal and flip it straight to a clean page. Once I have an idea of what to draw, I begin to sketch it. The passage of time I become oblivious to as I focus completely on the task at hand.

_**#~~#**_

"Mina Seno." Ms. Arbercrumb calls. There is a pause filled with silence. "Mina Seno."

I glance up from my book at the girl being called. It appears she has fallen asleep. How careless of her. The teacher continues to look around until she spots the sleeping student. Annoyed, she glances at me.

"Wake her up."

I place a hand on her shoulder and shake her. She groans and slowly starts to wake. In a split second, she is sitting up straight and looking around with wide, confused eyes.

"Mina Seno." The teacher calls once more.

She looks at the old woman. "Y-Y-Yes?"

"The principle sent me an e-mail saying she would like to see you."

The immature students of the class go "ooooh". Of course.

"Y-Yes, ma'am." Mina stands up in her seat. "Should I bring my stuff with me?"

By this point, Ms. Arbercrumb has completely lost interest and is busy typing away at the computer like earlier.

"I would." I say.

She looks down at me and hesitantly nods. She packs up her things. I get a glance of the picture she was drawing just as she closes the red notebook. When done she smiles at me.

"Bye."

"Bye." I return.

When she is gone from the room I continue to read. Mrs. Titania must have finally been able to read her files.

_**#~~#**_

Staring at the door to Mrs. Titania's office, I immediately start thinking back to this morning. I close my eyes and take slow, deep breathes. This could all be no big deal and I am making it out to be like it is. I carefully raise my hand to knock on the door. I was about to make contact when the door suddenly opens on its own making me jump back in surprise. A male with red hair wearing white-and-blue garments steps out.

"Whoa!" he exclaims as he suddenly stops in his tracks. "Sorry for almost bumping into you."

I smile nervously. "I-It's okay. I'm sorry for being in the way."

"It's quite alright."

He bows his head politely before walking away. I watch him as he makes his way down the hall.

"Mina." I snap my head toward the direction of my name to see Mrs. Titania standing in front of her desk. "I see you've met Mr. Rhys. He is the school's head nurse."

"Oh."

"…Have a seat."

I nod before sitting down. Instead of going behind her desk, she instead takes the seat that is next to me and turns to face me. This confuses and worries me at the same time. She smiles kindly.

"Relax. I'm not going to bite."

I blush in embarrassment. "I-I know." I reply quickly as I bow my head.

"I just wanted to talk to you about your living conditions." My eyes grow wide. "I heard you are staying at an inn right now."

"Yes…"

"That's not your permanent residence, is it?"

"N-No. I was… gonna look into that."

"What about your parents?"

My lips are pressed into a hard line as my hands squeeze my knees tightly. I am glad that my hair is long enough to shield my face. It makes me feel a little less self-conscious.

"They died two years ago."

The room falls into heavy silence for a minute. The only thing that keeps me in the room mentally is Ms. Titania's hand on my shoulder.

"Any relatives?" she finally asks.

I shake my head. Mom and Dad never talked to me about either side of their families. Whenever I would ask, I would just get, 'It's complicated'. Either that, or they would say that I wouldn't understand until I got older. Well I'm older than back then and I still don't understand.

"How have you been supporting yourself?"

"They left some money behind. I picked up jobs where I could. The neighbors I used to live near were really generous, too."

A few more seconds of silence before I hear a heavy sigh. "Well, then." She says as she rubs my back and then pats it before standing up straight. "That means there is no other choice." I lift my head to look at her for the first time since I entered the office with a confused look. "You'll have to stay at one of the dorms."

My eyes grow wide. "This school has dorms?"

"Yes." She replies with a smile. "It's one of the many great things about this school." She goes to her desk and filters through some papers. "Anyway, the cheapest way to let you stay will be to assign you a roommate. Will you be alright with that?"

"Y-Yes!" I say as I stand up. "Thank you so much!"

She chuckles. "Now, hold on. You don't have the room yet. I need to find one, get the student's permission, and get it all finalized. If you're lucky, we should get everything done by the end of tomorrow."

I smile brightly. "Thank you!"

Ms. Titania looks at me and smiles. "One more thing, Mina."

"Yes?"

"This school typically has uniforms but this year they were late. They should be arriving either tomorrow or over the weekend so, once you have your dorm room, your uniform will be dropped off there."

"Okay." I bow before smiling at her once more. "Again, thank you. Have a good day."

"You too."

I step out of the principal's office feeling refreshed and relieved. What started off as rough turned out to be a good visit. I quickly wipe my eyes before stepping outside of the main office. What I didn't expect to see right outside, though, is Ranulf. We both make eye contact and he smirks.

"You sure love the office." He remarks.

My cheeks warm up instantly. "I-I could say the same t-to you."

"A little birdie told me I could find you here."

I blink. "Y-You were looking for me? Why?"

He tilts his head to the side. "I wanted to see if you needed someone to walk you home. Since you're new, I figured you still need help finding your way around town."

"Y-You don't have to go through th-the trouble-"

Ranulf cuts me off before I could continue my worried statement. "Don't worry about it. No skin off my back."

I think about it for a moment then smile shyly. "Thank you."

"No problem."

As we exit the main gates he looks down at me. "So where do you live?"

I look up at him. "I'm staying at a bed-and-breakfast for now."

His eyes widen. "Really?"

"Yeah. That's why I was called down to Ms. Titania's office in the first place." I step in the direction in which it is at and he follows right beside me. "She offered for me to stay in a dorm. She is going to look for someone I can room with hopefully by tomorrow."

"That's good."

I nod in agreement and smile. "She's really nice."

"When in a good mood." I silently look up at him. For some reason, this causes him to laugh. "Yeah, she's a good principal."

I giggle. "Oh, and apparently the uniforms might be coming tomorrow."

"So I've heard."

Something suddenly dawns upon me. "How come Radiant Dawn has dorms? Isn't that usually a college thing?"

"A long time ago Radiant Dawn used to be a university." My eyes widen slightly. That doesn't only explain the dorms but the school's layout as well. "There are a lot of different stories and rumors as to why it shut down. Whether the newer universities attracted a lot more students or some kind of strange "curse"."

"A curse?"

Ranulf shrugs. "People like stories when there is something superstitious or paranormal about it." I nod thoughtfully. "Anyway, it wasn't till several years ago that someone decided to rebuild the place and open it up as a high school."

"Was a new high school needed?" I ask.

"Probably. All the other ones are either closed or run down. There are some bad areas on the outskirts of town."

"Huh…"

He looks at me curiously. "What is it?"

I quickly shake my head. "Nothing. Just thinking."

It was about to go silent when Ranulf decided to ask me how my day was. I told him, minus the part at lunch when he had offered me a water bottle, the flashback incident, and the tearful moment I had in Mrs. Titania's office. Then it was his turn to share about his day. We had gotten into a comfortable rhythm of conversation when we had arrived at the entrance of the inn. He offered to walk me upstairs to my room but I turned him down, saying that it was getting late and that he needed to get back home. That's when I learned he was actually staying at a dorm with a friend of his.

"I-I'm sorry for making you go out of y-your way to walk me back."

He chuckles. "Stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault. I wanted to walk you home, remember? My choice." I hesitantly nod. He smiles kindly. "See you tomorrow, Mina."

"Y-Yeah. Bye, Ranulf."

We both wave to each other before he turns around and starts heading back towards the high school. Once he is out of site I make my way into the building and up to my room. Thinking about tomorrow has butterflies rampaging in my stomach in a nervous yet excited way. I look around my room, thinking about how I was going to pack it up and carry it to my new place, when I remember that there is homework I need to do. _'No need to get ahead of myself,'_ I thought. _'I don't even know if there is a dorm for me to stay at.'_ Putting the thought aside, I settle myself down and start on the homework.

* * *

**How was it? Alright? I know that this is where Lenna is supposed to be introduced, but I have decided to push that off until the next chapter. This will mean that the next chapter will also be pretty different than the original content. I will try my best to make it flow as best as possible. Now time for the part which I missed very much when I kinda vanished from the site; thanks to the reviewers of the previous chapter! Whoot! :D**

_**ExposedWiresExposedVeins**_

_**Cormag Ravenstaff**_

_**Meru-64**_

_**hannahbananaonthesavannna**_

_**TilTheEnd**_

**Thank you a lot. They really lifted my spirits and gave me confidence on this huge revising project. ^_^ Also thanks to all those either new to this story or those who have been here since the very, very, _very _beginning. I have also been getting new reviews on the old RDHS. o.o'' I don't know how or why that is happening, but that is pretty awesome! I also hope they realize that this exists and that they read this, too. XD **

**Anyway, I will try to be quicker with the next chapter. Adios for now!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, hey! I'm here with a new chapter! Boy, let me tell you, this chapter was difficult! I re-read the old chapter 3 and 4 and... well... was horrified. I couldn't believe some of the crappy, stupid things I wrote. V_V'' *disappears into corner of depression for a few seconds* So...**

***hypnotizes readers***

**You never read chapter 3 or 4 of the old fanfic~**

***finishes hypnotism***

**Okay. Now that that is done, I can tell you why this chapter was tricky to write (along with a fair warning). The chapter was difficult because of a lot of new material, along with mixing in parts from chapters 3, 4, and 2. Chapter 2 closes off this chapter while 3 and 4 are combined rather than separating them like I did before. This makes the chapter longer, finishes off the whole first-second-day-of-school stuff, and allows us all to move on. Plus, thought it would be nice since I took a while to get this out and published. ^^'**

**The little warning is that this chapter will start off a bit depressing, but definitely lightens up as it goes on. So with that, I will quit holding you guys back and allow you to read the newest installment of the revised RDHS. ^^ Be warned, though, I kinda skimmed through the chapter because I did A LOT of fresh typing and editing so don't be surprised to see silly mistakes that I probably missed while skimming.**

_**Disclaimer:**__**I do not own Fire Emblem or the characters. I just own the OCs (though Lenna technically belongs to a rl friend of mine).**_

**Side Note: I was wrong about Rhys' hair color in the last chapter. It is red. I had it right when I wrote the old fanfic but wasn't sure and decided to google images of him. The fanarts made it look like he had brunette hair. I should have listened to my gut and stuck to red like I knew it was.**

**2nd Side Note: If the symbols get confusing, refer to the bottom A/N at the end of chapter 1.**

* * *

Chapter 3:

_It was almost an hour since they had left. I remember because when I heard someone ring the doorbell it woke me from my nap and I checked the nearest clock. When I answered the door it was a neighbor asking if my parents were home. I responded with a no since they would have told me if they were. The expression on his face caused such furious knots in my stomach that I thought I would be sick. Without another word he pulled out his cell phone in order to get a hold of my dad. When he started having a conversation with the person on the other end I sighed with relief._

_ I didn't know at the time that it wasn't him who answered._

_ I was in the back seat of the neighbor's car, his son in the passenger seat, heading towards the local grocery store. When we arrived there was an ambulance, a couple of police cars, and several people gathered together near the alley next to the store. It was so loud that I couldn't make sense of what was going on. All three of us climbed out of the car and headed towards the scene. I couldn't see what everyone was staring at so I made my way through the crowd, not realizing that the neighbor was yelling for me to wait. I reached the yellow line by the time I saw that two bodies were lying on the ground several feet away. My eyes grew wide as my hands trembled._

_ "M-Mom…? Dad…?" I couldn't tell if I had said that out loud or only thought it because of how loud everything was._

_ I called for my parents but they didn't move. I went under the tape and rushed towards their crumpled bodies. People yelled at me but I didn't care. All I could think was that I needed to be there. I stopped dead cold when the strong metallic smell hit me like a wall. The flashing lights of the vehicles shown on them and I could see thick, red liquid pooled underneath them._

"Aah!" I scream as I sit up in bed.

My fists clench the blanket covering my legs as I pant heavily. Looking around the room, I remember where I really am. I gulp and continue to breathe harshly as I try my best to calm down. It has been a long time since I have had that memory pop into my nightmare. Why now all of a sudden? Gripping the blanket even tighter, I shut my eyes. It's because of yesterday. I know it. Moving to a new place by myself really wasn't a good idea. I'm going to have to deal with people who don't know my past and remember it every time someone somehow manages to poke at it.

The pounding in my chest eventually comes to a normal rhythm along with my breathing. _'No,'_ I think as I open my blue eyes once more. I can't go back now. I made this decision long ago that this is what I needed to do. The fresh start I wanted so badly is here, I can feel it. It's not going to be easy, I am painfully aware, but it is something I am willing to fight for. I pat my cheeks with my hands a couple of times. _'No giving up, Mina. You promised yourself you wouldn't.'_

Taking a deep breath, I rest my feet on the wooden floor and stand up. I need to get ready for school.

**##**

"You woke up at five?" Edward asks in surprise. "Why would you get up so early?"

"I-I had trouble sleeping."

"One of those mornings, huh? I hate when that happens."

"Yeah…" I look up from my lap towards the water fountain before us. "Same."

It was a nice surprise that we both arrived at school at the same time. I now have someone to talk to for a bit before class is to start. He is an easy guy to talk to and, surprisingly, not always hyperactive. He seems to get loud when surrounded by several people at a time or when with Leonardo. Right now, though, it is just the two of us so it is peaceful and quiet. Honestly, I don't mind either side of him, but this calm one is preferred for right now.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." I turn to meet his gaze, not understanding what he meant. "I said something at lunch to make you upset. Whatever it was, I didn't mean to."

My eyes widen when I finally realize what he is talking about. "Th-That wasn't your fault!" I say quickly. "I-I had a lot on my mind all of a sudden and d-didn't know what to do about it!"

Edward seems unsure with my answer. "Really?" I nod vigorously. He sighs as his shoulders sag, as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He then smiles. "That makes me feel better."

I smile in return. "I'm glad."

Suddenly, his arms wrap around me and pull me tightly against his body. "You are such a cute younger sister!"

And just like that, his hyper self is back making me blush early in the morning.

"Ugh, Edward. It's too early to be loud and annoying."

We both turn around to see Leonardo standing behind us.

"Oh, Leo!" Edward quickly stands up from the bench. "I was looking for you earlier because you forgot this!" He lifts up the blue-and-white bow and matching quiver that he had been carrying with him.

"I already have what I need." He lifts up the bow that I had seen him using yesterday. "See?"

"Oh…" He looks down at the items before a light bulb moment occurs. He turns to me with a bright grin on his face and asks, "Do you have a bow?"

I jump in surprise. "N-No, but-."

"Then you should use it!"

"H-Huh?!" I exclaim. "Y-You shouldn't offer someone else's stuff l-like that!"

"That's a good idea." Leonardo says.

"S-See?! You can't just- Wait, what?!" I ask in astonishment as I whirl towards him.

"Why not?" He replies. "It makes sense since I don't need it but you do."

"That's what I was thinking!" Edwards says proudly. He hands the bow and quiver to me. "Here!"

I hesitantly take the stuff off of his hands and study them. They are both beautifully crafted and painted. Even the arrows in the quiver are very nicely made. For some reason, holding such nice things makes me feel guilty. I look up at Leonardo.

"A-Are you sure?"

He smiles. "Yeah, I'm sure."

The school bell tolls loudly across the school yard. Edward looks panicked. "Shit, I'm gonna be late if I don't go now!" He quickly dashes off but not before waving to us while yelling, "Later!"

"B-Bye!" I call out in return.

"We should go, too." Leonardo says.

I look up at him. "Y-Yeah."

We start walking towards where our archery class is located. It is quiet for most of the time. When we are almost there, though, I get curious about something.

"Why do you have two?" I ask while slightly holding up the bow in my hand.

"Because my mother insisted I get a new set although I've told her many times that I didn't need it."

"Oh…" I glance at his bow. It looks very worn and used but not in a bad way. He is an archer who knows how to appreciate and care for his gear. "You must take very good care of it."

"I try."

I smile lightly. "If it is lasting for a long time you must be doing something right."

There is a pause before a shoulder is shrugged in a shy manner. This causes me to smile a little more as I look ahead. Before long, we arrive at our destination. Just in time, too, because Mr. Shinon starts ordering everyone to go to their targets and practice. Leonardo and I head to the same targets that we used yesterday and start practicing. Well, he did. I try to but the bow is giving me a tough time due to the string being difficult to pull back. I don't want to put it under too much strain because I'm afraid of it breaking on me. I would ask Leonardo but I don't want to disturb him.

"Everything okay?"

I look beside me to see Mr. Shinon looking down at me with his arms crossed. I gulp nervously.

"I-It's difficult to use." I reply meekly.

He holds out a hand, motioning me to hand the bow to him. Once he has it he tests the string himself. He can pull it farther back than I could but there is a thoughtful look on his face.

"Your problem," he informs, "is that it needs to be broken in."

"Oh."

He looks up at me. "Let me use it for a bit and see if that helps."

"O-Okay."

I take a few steps back and he takes position in front of the target. I was about to ask if he need my quiver as well when he pulls an arrow out of the one he already has at his side. When he gets in his stance my eyes widen slightly. It is perfect with no signs of doubt or hesitation; as expected from an experienced archer. He takes the shot and the arrow lands two rings away from the center. He makes a 'tsk' sound and rolls the shoulder of his shooting arm before trying again. When he does, the arrow nails its intended mark straight on. Unintentionally, I smile and glance at him. Mr. Shinon meets my gaze and slightly smirks.

"Did you expect me to fail?"

I shake my head quickly. "O-Of course not."

He returns his attention to the target and I continue to watch. He fires a few more arrows before lowering both arms to his side, signaling that he is done. He hands me the bow which I take.

"See if it works now." He says.

I nod once. Mr. Shinon steps aside so that I may get into position. He watches, his hands on his sides. Once I am ready I pull an arrow from my quiver and prep it on the string. It is easier to pull back which has me surprised and happy. I take aim before releasing the arrow. It ends up being a bit low, a few inches below the bull's eye, but otherwise not too bad of a shot. I turn towards the teacher with a cheerful smile.

"Thank you very much! You really helped me out!"

Mr. Shinon nods curtly. "Now continue practicing and it will get easier and more comfortable to use."

"Yes, sir!"

He leaves to check on the other students. I continue to practice as instructed and the rest of class goes on normally.

_**#~~#**_

The school bell tolls causing me to look up from my cell phone. The teacher had let my class out early so I had nothing better to do than wait outside the Beorc building for Micaiah. Students begin filtering out as expected. I look down at my phone once more to see a new text from her asking where exactly I am waiting. I type that I am leaning against the wall near the double doors.

That's when I hear the familiar voice of Leonardo talking to someone. After listening for a few seconds I realize that it is the new girl with him. That's right; he did say something about them having archery class together. By the sounds of it, they are heading in my direction. Now would be the right time to ask.

"Th-Thanks again for letting me keep such a nice bow."

"Don't mention it."

"I wish you told me it was a sniper's bow, though. I was wondering why it was so different."

"It doesn't really matter so long as you can use it, right?"

"Th-That's true… S-Sothe?"

I look up to see that the two of them are standing in front of me.

"Waiting for Micaiah?" Leonardo asks.

I nod. Then I turn my attention to Mina. "I need to ask you about yesterday."

She looks at me genuinely confused. "Wh-What about yesterday?"

"What happened between you and Micaiah?"

A few seconds of thought pass before her eyes grow wide. There we go. She becomes nervous and mindlessly plays with her fingers. I narrow my eyes, waiting for a response.

"Wh-Why haven't you asked h-her?" she asks.

"She won't tell me." I reply. I don't know why she won't, but it bothers me. So this girl needs to tell me.

"I-I see…"

I continue to watch her as she tries to look at anything but me. Leonardo looks as if he wants to say something but holds it back. It stays this way when suddenly Micaiah shows up.

"Found you." She says with a smile. I stand up straight. She then looks at the other girl. "Hello. Are you doing better than yesterday?"

"Y-Yes, thank you." She replies.

"That's good."

Leonardo takes this opportunity to speak up. "I need to head to class." He then looks down at Mina. "Coming?"

She smiles nervously. "Y-Yeah." She waves at the both of us. "B-Bye."

"Bye." Micaiah returns with a smile.

The two leave. Damn. There goes my one chance to get an answer out of her. I'll have to get Leonardo later for that one. I feel a peck on my cheek which brings my attention back to my girlfriend.

"Ready?" she asks sweetly.

I nod. Our hands interlocked, we make our way to our next class.

_**#~~#**_

Ms. Sylvester is a nice teacher. However, that still doesn't make history an easy subject of mine. I understand it is important to learn what happened so that the mistakes don't repeat into today, but learning people's names and remembering exactly what they did is hard for me. Even some events are hard to remember when exactly they took place and how they affected history. It's only my first class, though, so things are not too bad for now. It's later on when I need to start worrying.

After that is Battle Tactics with Mr. Nolan. However, I am getting ahead of myself. Before I can go to that class I need to have lunch. When I went to the cafeteria I was relieved to see the same four I ate with yesterday. I was afraid they would have a different lunch time and I would have had to find a new place along with new people. I begin to walk towards the table when my foot suddenly trips on something and I feel myself falling to the ground. My arms stretch out as a reflex but I don't register what is going on until I hit the ground with a 'thud'. I sit up on my knees and rub my hands attentively when I hear giggling from behind me. When I turn to look there is a cat Laguz and tiger Laguz girls walking away from me. I watch them with dazed eyes. _'Did they just…'_ I quickly stop my thoughts. There is no way for sure that they did, right? I mean, I've never seen them before. Why would they do something like that on purpose?

"Do you need help?"

I look up at the person in front of me and my eyes grow wide. A very large tiger Laguz is standing before me, leaning over with his hand outstretched. From this view, he looks absolutely massive! Still a bit shocked, I take his hand silently and allow him to pull me up. His hands are huge compared to mine! After a moment I snap out of it and remember my manners.

"Th-Thank you." I say shyly.

He smiles kindly. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, just a bit surprised." I smile nervously. "I-I must be clutzier than I thought."

"Are you a moron?" a guy suddenly stays sharply. "Don't you know when someone trips you on purpose?"

My eyes widen at recognition of that harsh tone. I slowly turn my head to the person sitting near us and, dreadfully, find that I am right. Derek glares at me pointedly. I slowly shake my head in disbelief of what he is implying.

"Wh-Why would they do something l-like that?"

Instead of getting an answer like I hoped, he just shrugs. "Maybe you pissed them off, too."

"B-But I've never seen them before!" I exclaim.

No longer interested, he turns away from me to continue eating his lunch. My shoulders sag as I look at the ground.

"It's alright." The blue Laguz says. I turn to look at him. "You probably won't see them again."

"Yeah…" I still felt down about it, though.

"Mina!"

I look over to see Edward jogging towards us.

"Well, I better go." The stranger says.

I look at him and nod. I smile the best I can despite the situation. "Thanks again."

He smiles. "No problem."

It wasn't until he was gone that I realized that I never caught his name. I can't believe I forgot to ask. Either way, I'm grateful to him being here when he was. Arms suddenly wrap tightly around me making me stumble back a step.

"I was wondering where you were!"

I smile and blush lightly while returning the hug. "I-I'm sorry. Something came up."

He has me at arm's length. "Who was that guy you were talking to?"

"I-I honestly don't know."

"Oh. Well, come on. Everyone is waiting for you."

"Eh? Really?"

Edward looks at me as if I said something silly. "Well, yeah." He smiles. "You're part of the group now."

For some reason, this makes me feel really happy. Butterflies form in my stomach as he leads me to the table and we sit down. They all greet me which I return before pulling out the lunch I remembered to pack this time. The period consists of mainly small talk while everyone eats. It's peaceful and fun; just the way I like it. Before I know it, lunch ends and the tripping incident is completely forgotten about.

Edward, Leonardo, and I walk to Battle Tactics since we all have it together. This should make the class easier to get through. When we get there I realize there is another familiar face in the class; Soren.

"Sit next to me!" Edward says excitedly.

I smile. "O-Okay."

He sits at a desk in the middle of the room. I sit next to him while Leonardo sits at the desk on the other side of him. Pretty soon, the two are surrounded by other students of the class and form a group which becomes the loudest part of the room. They must be popular. I look towards Soren once more who is sitting on a window ledge in the back of the room. I leave my stuff and sit beside him. He is staring out the window so I look out as well. The sun is high with practically no clouds in the sky to accompany it. Three birds launch from a tree nearby across the sky to somewhere distant.

"Nice day." I comment lightly.

"Mmm." Is all I get as a reply.

I look over at him. That's when I realize for the first time a mark on his forehead. Yesterday his hair covered it really well but today his hair is parted making it clearly visible. It's red but the shape is something I don't recognize. I look around the room before leaning close to him.

I whisper, "Are you a Branded?"

Soren turns to look at me for the first time with wide, horrified eyes. The Branded are people who have one parent that is a Beorc and the other a Laguz. You can usually tell because all have some kind of mark on their body. Most that are, though, normally don't want others to know because of how badly they get treated. I can only imagine how miserable it must be, never fully accepted by either race because of their mixed blood. It's so cruel.

Soren narrows his eyes causing me to jump. "Yes. I can't ask my parents about it, though, since they abandoned me when I was a child."

My chest hurts badly at hearing this. How lonely he must have felt, abandoned and alone at a young age. It didn't help that he was a Branded. I look at my lap, tears welling in my eyes. Then, out of nowhere, something in me snaps. It was as if I disconnected from my brain as my thoughts decided to take over.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." I say gently. "But, you know, you still have those who care about you. Even though you don't have parents, it's a lot better to not know them than to have grown up with them only for you to lose them so soon." Soren was taken aback. It was only when I went back to my normal self that I realized what I said. My cheeks become hot with embarrassment and I slap my hand over my mouth. I look up at him with eyes like a deer caught in headlights. "I-I'm so sorry! I-I don't know wh-why I said that!"

Right at that moment, the teacher enters the classroom and the school bell rings out. Yes! Saved! Thank you, Mr. Nolan!

"Alright, class. Please take your seats so that we may begin the lesson."

Without another word to Soren, I get up and sit at my desk. Everyone else goes to their own seats. Shortly after, class begins.

**##**

I'm not a big fan of science but, to my relief, Mrs. Lium is a nice teacher. Another thing that is to my relief is the fact that it is over much more quickly than I would have expected. It's great because it's the last class of the day and I need to go to the office to see if I have a dorm room to stay in.

With that in mind, when class ended, I was one of the first students out of the classroom.

When I walked into the main building I almost bumped into Soren who was leaving. I immediately feel awkward because I remember the last conversation that we had with each other. I glance at the ground as my hands interlock together tightly.

"U-Um, I-"

"I apologize." He cuts in with.

I look up, eyes wide. "Wh-What?" Did I hear him right?

"I knew about your situation and still said what I did. It wasn't right."

I quickly shake my head. "I-It's okay! Really!" I smile shyly. "I said some strange things myself."

Soren grabs my arm making me look him directly in his eyes. "Don't tell anyone that I'm…"

I smile kindly in hopes to reassure him. "Don't worry. I never planned on telling." He nods, the answer sufficient enough for him, and lets go of my arm. I take a few steps back towards the office. "Well, I have to go. Bye."

"Bye." He replies after a second of pause.

The atmosphere feeling lighter between us, I turn around and head to Mrs. Titania's office. I knock on the door before opening up. As expected, she is sitting behind her desk while writing some things down in a folder. She looks up at me with a knowing smile.

"Hello, Mina." She greets. "Here about the dorm?"

I nod, suddenly feeling a little anxious. I step towards her desk as she opens a drawer and digs through it. In a few seconds a small manila folder is pulled out. She pulls out a key and a piece of paper. I smile as I take them from her hands and study the paper.

"You will be in dorm building one with a Laguz girl by the name of Lenna."

I nod as I spot the girl's name and picture. She looks pretty with purple hair and blue streaks. She has the most pretty maroon eyes, too. IT seems that she is a tiger Laguz with white-and-black striped ears on her head. I wonder what she is like.

"I also heard that uniforms have arrived." Mrs. Titania says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I look up at her and smile brightly. "Thank you for everything you have done for me." I finish by bowing deeply.

"You're welcome. I'm here to help all of my students. If you ever need any more help, know that my doors are always open."

"I will. Thank you."

_**#~~#**_

"They've already started?" Lethe asks.

I nod.

I can't believe it!" Lyre exclaims in annoyance. "She hasn't done anything!"

I sigh heavily. "And it probably won't stop there. We can't tell Ranulf, though. It will only make him upset."

"Shouldn't we at least warn the girl?!"

"How?" Lethe asks. "Tell the human that a bunch of Laguz girls are attacking her out of jealousy? No normal person would take that seriously."

"We can't just do nothing, though!"

"We can keep an eye on her." I say. "Make sure that they don't do anything extreme."

Lyre doesn't seem to like my answer but crosses her arms and stays silent. She probably has no other idea s which is why she isn't fighting more like she normally would. IT falls into heavy silence.

"Hey, Mordecai!" I hear Ranulf call from a distance.

I turn to face him and smile. "Hello."

"What are you guys doing?"

"Waiting for your slow butt to show up, that's what!" Lyre whines.

He laughs and scratches the back of his head. "Sorry about that. I fell asleep in class and just left."

"Again?!" she exclaims.

"You need to be more responsible." Lethe comments.

"Yeah, yeah." However, he seems to not care much.

Suddenly, his ears perk up and his tail slowly sways back and forth. I try to hear what he has picked up but hear nothing in particular at first. That's when I hear the low, gentle humming of a girl. We both turn towards the sound to see none other than Mina heading in our direction. She seems to be distracted by whatever is in her hand.

"Mina!" Ranulf calls out.

With a jump, she looks up at us. He waves at her which she returns shyly. Lethe and Lyre have tensed up but I stay as calm as possible. When she gets closer to us she looks at me and recognition is read across of her face.

"Y-You're the one who h-helped me." She stutters in surprise.

I smile and nod. "Are you feeling better since then?"

She smiles, having relaxed a bit. "Yes, thanks to you."

Ranulf looks at me, to her, and then back to me. "You two have met?"

"She tripped at lunch so I helped her out." I reply.

He looks at her and laughs. "First you run into people and now you are tripping over air? You sure are clutzy."

Her cheeks color rosy red. "Y-Yeah…"

"We have to go." Lethe suddenly says.

"Yeah. I need to find Kyza." Lyre says with a wave.

"Oh, okay." Ranulf says. "See yah."

"Bye." I say.

The two Laguz sisters leave.

We talk to Mina for a bit, learning that she got assigned a room in dorm building one. This is coincidentally where Ranulf and I are staying. I can tell that that little piece of info has him happy. So, of course, he offers to help move her things to the dorm. She is reluctant at first, not wanting to be a burden. I say that it is no trouble since I have a truck that can easily carry her things. After some more convincing and reassuring her that it is fine, she accepts.

"This is it." Mina says while pointing at the building.

I pull over and park the vehicle along the curb. We all climb out and walk into the inn. Before we go upstairs to the room she manages to get a couple of cardboard boxes. She leads the way, carrying a few, while we follow behind. Once inside, she looks around the place.

"I'm gonna miss it here…" she says softly to herself.

"Where do you want us to start?" Ranulf asks.

"Um…" Mina looks over at the bookshelf. "I think the books are the only main things that need to be packed into the boxes. I'll take care of my clothes."

While Ranulf starts on the bookshelf I notice a two suitcases in the corner of the room, one of them fully packed while the other one is empty. She picks that one up and brings it to her closet.

"I see you already started to pack." I comment.

Mina follows my gaze. "Oh, yeah. It's all that I have."

I frown in confusion as I look at her. "All you have?"

She nods while proceeding to fold up her clothes. By the way it fell silent, I knew I wasn't going to get a straightforward answer and the discussion was considered over. To make up for it, I decide to move the other suitcase next to the door. Then I help Ranulf pack up the books. I took the books off the top two shelves while he took off the ones at the bottom two. We are almost done when Mina suddenly rushes over and starts looking through the boxes of books. She sighs in relief which has me guessing that she found what she was looking for.

"The Princess Bride, huh?" Ranulf comments.

"Y-Yeah. I really like it and read it once in a while. D-Do you know it?"

"Yeah. It was one of my mother's favorites."

I pause in my packing for a moment and look over at the two. Ranulf looks like his regular self except a bit somber. Mina seems to notice this and looks guilty. Instead of saying anything, though, she takes the book to her bag and packs it away.

That packing is soon finished. I carry the two suitcases down to my truck while Ranulf and Mina carry a box of books. Everything is placed into the bed and Mina runs in one last time to pay for the room and return the key. We sit in the truck as we wait for her. I look over at Ranulf who has been uncharacteristically silent.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Hmm?" He looks at me. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been quiet for a while now."

"Just thinking."

"About…?" I ask, inviting him to add on.

He shrugs. "Mina… My mom…"

He suddenly turns to look out the window. A pair of quick-moving feet reaches my ears. The door to the passenger seat opens and Ranulf moves over.

"Sorry, sorry!" Mina apologizes as she climbs into the truck and slams the door shut. "The innkeeper wanted to give me something before I left."

I look to her lap and see a container. Whatever the delicious smell is, it's coming from there. "What did they give you?" I ask curiously.

"Cookies."

"Nice." Ranulf says with a smile.

Mina blushes lightly while smiling in return. I start the truck up and drive us back towards the school. Dorm building one is literally right across the street from the high school. Once I pull up in front of it we exit the vehicle and take all of the luggage out of the bed onto the sidewalk. I have to park the truck in my usual parking spot, so I leave it to them to carry her things to her dorm room.

_**#~~#**_

Once Mordecai has left I look up at Ranulf.

"Do you know what floor room twenty-five is on?"

"That's on the fourth floor, I think." He scratches the side of his cheek as something seems to bother him. "Why do I feel like I know that room…?" After a moment he soon dismisses the thought with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, let's carry your things to the elevator."

I sigh with relief. I'm glad we don't have to carry my things up the stairs all the way to the fourth floor. That would have made this job a lot trickier and more exhausting. I pick up a suitcase and box while Ranulf takes the other suitcase and box. When we get into the elevator I realize that I left my school bag on the sidewalk. He tells me to hold the elevator and runs out. He then returns with my bag. After saying thanks, we make our way up to the fourth floor.

Before I realize it, we are already in front of my new dorm room, which is at the end of the hallway, all my things piled next to the door. I turn to Ranulf and smile warmly.

"Thank you very much for your help." My eyes widen. "I forgot to tell Mordecai thanks!"

Ranulf chuckles. "It's okay. I'll tell him for you." I sigh with relief. There is a moment of awkward silence. He nervously rubs the back of his head as he glances to the side. "I live on the second floor, room twelve, if you ever, um, need anything."

I smile gently as my cheeks color a light shade of pink. "Th-Thank you. I'll remember that."

He looks back at me and grins. "See you tomorrow!"

"B-Bye." I return with a light wave.

Ranulf disappears down the stairs which is next to the room next to mine. I pull out my key from my picket and unlock the door. As soon as I open it, a beautiful voice sings out from inside.

_Little child_

_Be not afraid_

_Though rain pounds harshly against the glass _

_Like an unwanted stranger_

_There is no danger_

_I am here tonight…_

As I look in I see a girl sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the side of a bed. I look down at my paper before looking back up at her. This must be Lenna. On her lap is a little tiger cub, also with black-and-white stripes. 'It's so cute!' I couldn't help but think to myself. Looking more at my new roommate, she looks like someone who held herself up high. I can tell she is an 'I don't care what you say' type. After a minute of singing her head turns to the door and stops abruptly upon seeing me.

"What do you want?" she says, annoyance clearly in her voice. Completely different to how she sounded when she was singing that soft, gentle melody.

"Y-You are Lenna, r-right?" I ask nervously.

"No duh, Sherlock." she shot back in an acidy tone. "Who the hell are you?"

"I-I'm Mina, y-your new r-roommate." I reply quickly.

"Whatever. Just do whatever and leave me alone."

Not really knowing what else to do, I carry my things inside and place them by the unoccupied bed. There is a twin-sized bed on both sides of the room against the back corners. Lenna's is the one to the left so that leaves the right side, the one right across from the door, to be mine. Both beds have a simple wooden night stand to go along with them, each with a single lamp on top. At the foot of the beds are small, wooden desks with a bit of storage space and matching chairs. In the middle of both of the beds is a large window with curtains that match the purple walls.

On Lenna's side of the room, her bed is located in front of the one, double-door closet that is in the room. That must be something we have to share when it comes to storing our clothes and shoes. Next to her nightstand is a small kit of things that are needed to take care of a cat; most likely for her pet baby tiger. All over her walls are posters of different bands, movie stars, and anime pictures. On and in her desk are tons of books stacked up neatly such as Fruits Basket, Skip Beat, Tail of the Moon, House of Night, Case Closed, Black Cat, and lots of others. I actually know most of the titles which puts a smile on my face. So there is something we have in common.

Lenna gets up and leaves the room along with her iPod that she is listening to while humming 'Bring Me to Life'. I recognize it because I have heard it plenty of times before. I walk over to the closet and open it up. Half of it is filled with my roommate's clothes while the other is empty. I open my suitcase and start putting my clothes away. As I am doing that, I feel a nudge on my leg and look down. There is the tiger cub Lenna just had on her lap. I kneel down and reach my hand out towards it. It sniffs it before nuzzling its cheek against the palm of my hand. Yep, definitely cute! The cub looks very tired so I gently pick it up and sing a song that I know and like.

_A thousand times I see you standing_

_ Gravity like lunar landing_

_ You make me want to run until I find you_

_I shut the world away from here_

_Drifting to you you're all I hear_

_Everything we know fades to black_

_Half the time the world is ending_

_Truth is I am done pretending_

I can hear its breathing slow to a gentle pattern so I figure that it fell asleep. I look at the small tiger and get the confirmation from its closed eyes. I put the cub in its bed and finish up the chorus to the song as I finish putting away my clothes.

_I, never thought that I, would have anymore to give_

_Pushing me so far, here I am without you_

_Drink, to all that we've have lost_

_Mistakes we have made_

_Everything will change_

_But love will remain the same…_

I finish unpacking my clothes and move on to the rest of my stuff. My stuff is quick to organize and put away so soon my empty suitcases are stored underneath the bed along with the two boxes of books. I figure that keeping them in the boxes will be a lot easier than taking them out and trying to find room for them all with my desk (although Lenna somehow managed to do it). My grey laptop is placed on top of the desk along with my notebooks and other school supplies. I look around the room and sigh heavily. Finally, I am done. I'm lucky I don't have to worry about my bed for it already has sheets, a pillow, and a white comforter on it.

However, since it is the first time I have really looked at it, I realize that there is a package sitting on top of it. Curious, I open it up. To my surprise, and amazement, it is the school uniform which I kept hearing about. The uniform consist of a knee-length, dark blue skirt, long-sleeved, white button-up shirt, dark blue blazer with the school's emblem over the right breast pocket, white sailor top with dark blue collars for when the weather is warm, a red ribbon for under the collar, and a pair of black dress shoes.

I have never had a school uniform before so this is a new, exciting experience for me. It will make getting ready in the morning a bit easier, that's for sure. I put away the blazer and white shirt in the closet while folding the rest and placing them on top of the desk chair. The shoes go right next to the door. I am sitting on my bed when Lenna returns and sits on her own bed. Since I have nothing else to do, I decide to get _'The Princess Bride' _from my bag and read the part with Inigo's big fight scene near the end.

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" I hear Lenna say the exact same time as I read it from the book. Huh?

"Wh-What did you say?" I ask.

"I said, 'Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!' Are you deaf or something?" Lenna replies, annoyed like the time before she left.

"N-No, it's just that you said the exact same line as I am reading right now." I reply, astounded. "So you like The Princess Bride?"

Her personality takes a whole 180 as she suddenly gets excited. "Like it? I _love_ it!" She jumps off her bed with her hands at her sides. "Ok, watch this…"

That's when she begins to reenact the scene in the beginning when Princess Buttercup first gets kidnapped and Vizzini gets annoyed at Fezzik and Inigo for starting a rhyming game. She had all the lines memorized perfectly and even made an effort to change her voice for each character. 'She's good…' I thought in awe.

"Like it?" she asks after her whole acting scene.

"Th-That was good!" I reply excitedly.

She blushes a little and grins. "Thanks!"

After that, we talk for two hours about _'The Princess Bride'_ along with other books and movies that we like. It is 9:45 pm when we finally decide that it is time to get some sleep. As we get ready for bed I keep looking at her cub that woke up after the first monologue Lenna recited. It is always either on Lenna's lap or by her feet when she walks around.

I muster up the courage to ask about it. "Why does the cub always follow you around everywhere?" Lenna looks at the cub and giggles.

"I rescued her from these 'fur selling people'." She says the last part in disgust. I can imagine why. "I took her in and now she follows me everywhere so I call her Kisa. Like from Fruits Basket." Lenna concludes.

"I can see why you giggled." I say while trying to contain my own giggles. "Well, we better get some sleep if we are going to wake up in time for school tomorrow. Good night." I then climb onto my bed and under the comforter.

"Good night, twin!" she says as she climbs into her own bed.

We both turn off our night lights causing the room to go dark. Before I fall sleep, I think about the little nickname she gave me. For some reason it sounds… right. We have so much in common that it feels like we were twins separated at birth.

"Twin…" I whisper to myself before finally falling asleep.

* * *

**And with that we finish chapter 3! Whoot! To be honest, I don't know what I have planned for the next chapter. I have a slight idea, but otherwise it is up in the open. I'll probably look through the old one along with peeking at chapter 5 and see what ideas I get.**

**Also, I STILL have people reviewing/following/favoriting the old fanfic! O_o'' How is this happening?!**

**Whatever. Time for the thanks to the following reviewers (still one of my favorite things to do when writing fanfic chapters). :D**

_**Meru-64**_

_**Cormag Ravenstaff**_

_**ExposedWiresExposedVeins**_

_**hannahbananaonthesavanna**_

_**Rubyriverfalls**_

**Thanks a lot, guys! You are the reason my spirits stay up about this story and I continue to work as hard as I do. ^_^ If you want your name to be in the next list of thanks, then write a review so I have a reason to be giving you thanks! Come on! Just type a short (or long) review in that friendly-looking box below and hit the 'post review' button! I can't hurt you! Unless, of course, you have been typing/writing/clicking buttons for hours so even a single click on the mouse button shoots pain through your hand because of all the strain you put it through. Does it sound like I've been through something like this? Good, 'cause it should. XD**

**Alright! I'm done, guys! Until next time! **


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